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Perkins' 'tornado' hits Collingswood satellite
Courier-Post
Robert Baxter
Published: September 11. 2005 6:00AM

The Perkins Center for the Arts opened its Collingswood satellite last year with a series of visual arts classes. Students will find more than easels and art materials when the fall term opens this weekend in the facility at 30 Irvin Avenue.

Spiraling through the interior is a huge installation created by artist Brian David Dennis. The artist has fashioned a two-story "tornado" from aluminum screening and jute ropes.

"The space challenged me to do "immersive work,' " explains the Philadelphia artist. "I want the viewer to be immersed in it, to have a sense of traversing it as part of the experience."

Dennis fashioned his dramatic installation after visiting the site in the spring.

Dazzled by the large space -- the first floor gallery opens into a sky-lit second-floor area reached by a long stairway -- he decided to pay tribute to the building, which was used as an automobile repair shop before being turned into a sculpture studio.

"I picture Jersey people tinkering around in their garages," explains Dennis. "I wanted to become one of the tinkerers."

The artist calls his new work Hold because he wanted to create the sensation of "holding the wind." A ramp made of wooden coffee stirrers sweeps the eye to a flowing tangle of screen funnels that swirl up through a large opening to the second-floor ceiling.

"Brian has responded to the space in a totally exciting way," comments Alan Willoughby, the Perkins Center's executive director. "His installation celebrates the potential this building has."

Willoughby says Perkins is gearing up for a major fundraising campaign to purchase and renovate the building in Collingswood. The arts center so far has raised about one-fourth of the $2 million needed for the project.

The installation, on view through Oct. 8, marks the first exhibition held at the fledgling arts facility. Exhibition curator Hope Proper promises more.

"This building gives us the space to do the big exhibits we cannot offer in Moorestown," explains Proper. "It will complement what we present at Perkins.

"For the inaugural exhibit, we wanted to make a big splash and do something different and exciting."

The exhibit opened Saturday with a late afternoon reception, one of the featured highlights of Collingswood's Second Saturday, a monthly celebration of the arts and entertainment on Haddon Avenue sponsored by Collingswood Partners Inc.

The installation opens and closes on nights devoted to Second Saturday. In between, on Sept. 24 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Dennis participates in a conversation about his art work.

Dennis, 46, has been creating installations in Philadelphia for two decades. An exhibit of his collages is on view next month at the Sande Webster Gallery in Philadelphia.

Willoughby says Dennis' installation has attracted a lot of attention to the Collingswood facility.

He hopes to capitalize on that by attracting more people to Perkins classes there. He also hopes visitors will become involved in contributing funds to purchase and renovate the facility.


	Perkins' 'tornado' hits Collingswood satellite Courier-Post Robert Baxter Published: September 11. 2005 6:00AM The Perkins Center for the Arts opened its Collingswood satellite last year with a series of visual arts classes. Students will find more than easels and art materials when the fall term opens this weekend in the facility at 30 Irvin Avenue. Spiraling through the interior is a huge installation created by artist Brian David Dennis. The artist has fashioned a two-story "tornado" from aluminum screening and jute ropes. "The space challenged me to do "immersive work,' " explains the Philadelphia artist. "I want the viewer to be immersed in it, to have a sense of traversing it as part of the experience." Dennis fashioned his dramatic installation after visiting the site in the spring. Dazzled by the large space -- the first floor gallery opens into a sky-lit second-floor area reached by a long stairway -- he decided to pay tribute to the building, which was used as an automobile repair shop before being turned into a sculpture studio. "I picture Jersey people tinkering around in their garages," explains Dennis. "I wanted to become one of the tinkerers." The artist calls his new work Hold because he wanted to create the sensation of "holding the wind." A ramp made of wooden coffee stirrers sweeps the eye to a flowing tangle of screen funnels that swirl up through a large opening to the second-floor ceiling. "Brian has responded to the space in a totally exciting way," comments Alan Willoughby, the Perkins Center's executive director. "His installation celebrates the potential this building has." Willoughby says Perkins is gearing up for a major fundraising campaign to purchase and renovate the building in Collingswood. The arts center so far has raised about one-fourth of the $2 million needed for the project. The installation, on view through Oct. 8, marks the first exhibition held at the fledgling arts facility. Exhibition curator Hope Proper promises more. "This building gives us the space to do the big exhibits we cannot offer in Moorestown," explains Proper. "It will complement what we present at Perkins. "For the inaugural exhibit, we wanted to make a big splash and do something different and exciting." The exhibit opened Saturday with a late afternoon reception, one of the featured highlights of Collingswood's Second Saturday, a monthly celebration of the arts and entertainment on Haddon Avenue sponsored by Collingswood Partners Inc. The installation opens and closes on nights devoted to Second Saturday. In between, on Sept. 24 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Dennis participates in a conversation about his art work. Dennis, 46, has been creating installations in Philadelphia for two decades. An exhibit of his collages is on view next month at the Sande Webster Gallery in Philadelphia. Willoughby says Dennis' installation has attracted a lot of attention to the Collingswood facility. He hopes to capitalize on that by attracting more people to Perkins classes there. He also hopes visitors will become involved in contributing funds to purchase and renovate the facility.
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